The Importance of Individuality

The Importance of Individuality

“Under his eye” – Handmaid, The Handmaids Tale.

I love Margaret Atwoods, The Handmaids tale series. It portrays a dismal America that is suffering under a tyrannical theological rule. The main character suffers rape and oppression by her captors based upon a form of christianity.

During each episode Offred / June looks a little more hopeless and angry.

Offred / June goes along with the abuse / rape because she knows her captors will kill her if she shows dissent.

Offred / June demonstrates in many of the episodes the difficulties, the courage, the sacrifice that it takes to stand up against mainstream acceptance of what is falsely seen as the correct way to believe, to live and to exist.

Anyone who is different, unique, individual, sexually, theologically or otherwise is cast out and shunned or simply killed and hung from the wall.

From an early age I remember being told to keep a low profile. Tow the line. Do not step out of line. Keep your opinions to yourself. There is a time and place for all that, now is not the time. Keep quiet. Do not speak out.

This advice as we can see would result in a world much like the world that Offred / June exists in.

We are complicit in our subservience.

In the Handmaids tale, those who stand up and fight for equality, against oppression are the ones hanging from the wall.

We get to the point where :“You’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING, God damn it! My life has VALUE!’,’I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’ “ – Howard Beale, Network

Despite our better nature we are surrounded by misleading marketing, mysticism, superstition, pseudo-science and a warm theological reassurance that seems so pervasive in our society.
Even the mildest of people seem to think we must accept and be tolerant of those who wish to tell us that it is their right to do as they please, to torture animals, oppress the poor, use this product, it is their right to believe that you are inferior and must be controlled.

Tolerance of those who wish to shape our minds to follow blindly, is leaping away from individualism and into group-think and that is where we are most open to suggestion. Confidence trickery has and always will be used to convince us of anything.

To hear from religious leaders from organised religions who proclaim that we are each individuals and then to claim that being part of their faith offers you that individuality is simply hypocritical and nonsensical.

We see on a daily basis the divisive nature of people involved in organisations and religions who seek to control minds with their messages.

“If we can’t think for ourselves, if we’re unwilling to question authority, then we’re just putty in the hands of those in power. But if the citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us. In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness.” – Carl Sagan – Demon Haunted World.

The world is filled with wonder and beauty.

Question everything and don’t be afraid.

There are kind people to rely upon who will support us unconditionally.

Those are the ones who are important.

Remember, “Those who do not want you to think are never your friends.”, TheraminTrees

You don’t have to conform to their standards.

You don’t have to stick to one technology or one brand.

You don’t have to be a part of anything. It is important to understand this.

You can just be you.

You don’t have to agree with someone, it isnt regressive to protest or speak out.

Listen politely and then respond politely, letting them know how very wrong they are.

It isn’t a bad thing to fail. Even the best of us fail.

It is never a bad thing to question or challenge authority.

“There are wonders enough out there without our inventing any.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

Related

2 Comments

I agree with you, some of us accept what we are told without asking questions. I was at a funeral and everyone was crying, the vicar started preaching and the preaching made it all that bit worse. My friend had died and we were having to listen to a sermon about forgiveness. It was very inappropriate.